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So, I'm finally going to get a CV


tz101

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I have collected for virtually every classic gaming system out there, save Colecovision and some oddities like Vectrex and TG-16. I am finally to a point where I think I may be able to afford to acquire a CV. The only thing is that I never see them in the wild and they run fairly expensive on Ebay. So before I shell out Ebay money, please tell me: Is it worth it? In other words, will I suddenly find myself disappointed when the system arrives via UPS at my doorstep? Of course, I also have to get my hands on some games, but that is secondary. Are the stock controllers difficult to use? I would like to know pluses and minuses before I make this investment.

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Yeah, hardware reliability can be a problem. Coleco didn't build things to last, really -- they built them on the cheap. And the stock controllers, while not the worst I've ever used, are far from ideal. The Super Action controllers, IMO, are not much better -- but many people feel they are, so YMMV. On the good side, 7800 controllers work on the CV (and vice versa), so if you have a favorite 7800 controller, you're good to go. You'll need a keypad to select the game, but most of the time the 2nd controller's keypad can be used for that. Alternatively, you could get a Champ keypad, which is just a keypad with a port to connect a joystick. Oh, and 2600 sticks work fine for the CV as well, but of course they only have one button. For 2-button games, you'll need something else.

 

As far as the games, there are many for the system that either don't appear anywhere else among classic consoles, or only appear in inferior form elsewhere. So it's a good console to have in terms of finding unique content. So far, the ones I like best are Carnival, Frenzy, Gorf, Lady Bug, Mr Do!, Omega Race, Pepper II, Space Panic, Venture, and Zaxxon. I have ten more games, and they're all good as well (Cosmic Avenger, Donkey Kong, DK Jr., Looping, Mouse Trap, Slither, Space Fury, Time Pilot, Turbo, and Victory). It's nice that all the first-party games have four difficulty settings so that you can find the right level of challenge for you.

 

The add-ons are pretty nifty, too. The Roller Controller is nice (you can get one brand new for under $20), and the driving controller is fun and includes a foot pedal (usually you can get a nice refurbished one for around $20). Roller Controller games include Slither (included with the controller) and Victory. Driving games include Turbo (included), Destructor, and Dukes of Hazzard.

 

BTW, I got my CV from Ax. You might ask him if he has any others left. Or you can get an S-Video modded one from Atari2600.com.

 

Overall, I consider the CV one of the essential game systems to have. As mentioned, there are lots of good games that are only available for it or are best played on it. Just try to get a tested and working unit, and then treat it kindly.

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One more thing on the stock controllers: like everything else Colecovision, it seems they went through a number of revisions during the short lifespan of this system. Inside the controllers, the bottom of the knob-like joystick is very similar to the top. When you push the top knob a given direction, the knob on the other end presses down on the contact(s) on the PC board inside. I know of at least two important revisions of this: one that has a smaller knob on the bottom, and one that has a larger one. In my experience, the ones with the smaller knob on bottom are more difficult to use and less reliable. They seem to be the earlier revision as well, I'm guessing, because their PC boards tend to have the wires from the cable attached with connector terminals, whereas the ones with the larger bottom knobs tend to have their wires soldered to the board (an obvious cost-cutting measure).

 

The problem is, I haven't been able to find a way to tell the one from the other based on the outside. You never know what you get until you open it up (queue Forest Gump).

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Were the Wico controllers any good? I've seen them here and there, sometimes under $20.

 

Things that can be an issue:

 

1. The power switch. I won't go into all of the details since there are plenty of threads on the topic, but it usually needs to be replaced.

 

2. The RF box inside the console can also be or go bad. Sometime the problem is poor solder connections. You may want to consider doing some sort of AV mod to bypass it all together.

 

3. The power supply can also be flakey. I suggest tracking down a back up down the road if you can,

 

Beware that some symptoms such as black screen, garbled graphics, noise on the screen... can be cause by any of the above problems or a combination.

 

All in all, it is a fun system with good arcade ports and some games that can't be found else where. I recommend it, but be prepared to have to deal with some issues even if things seem fine initially.

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